world best travel places: Visions of Earth by National Geographic

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Visions of Earth by National Geographic


national geographic1 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
August 2009: Mexico—Thirteen feet and a thousand-plus pounds of great white shark bump a diver's cage and roil the waters off Guadalupe Island. The region, rich in seal and sea lion rookeries, is a hot spot for the powerful predators. Photograph by Brandon Cole
national geographic3 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Cerro de Sorte, Venezuela—Surrounded by candles symbolizing regeneration, followers of a cult centered on the local goddess María Lionza wait for cleansing during an hour-long ritual. Photograph by Cristina Garcia Rodero


national geographic4 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Tonga—Plumes of ash, smoke, and steam billow thousands of feet into the air as an undersea volcano erupts on the uninhabited island of Hunga Ha'apai. The fallout, rock detritus known as scoria, has since enlarged the landmass. Photograph by Dana Stephenson
national geographic5 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
India—Decorated in pink powder, a bull dives through a crowd of men who hope to hang on to the animal long enough to win a prize. The sport, jallikattu, is part of harvest celebrations in the Tamil Nadu town of Alanganallur. Photograph by Palani Mohan
national geographic6 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Tanzania—After two weeks of in-mouth incubation, a school of perhaps 200 cichlid fry—each less than half an inch long—swim free of their mother, searching for a plankton meal in the cerulean waters of Lake Tanganyika. Photograph by Angel M. Fitor
national geographic7 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Gulf of Aqaba—Surrounded by thousands of golden sweepers, photographer Magnus Lundgren spun his camera to capture this shifting school off Elat, Israel. After 200 tries he got it: a whirlpool of four-inch fish. Photograph by Lundgren
national geographic8 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
India—In Jammu, a flower of flame blooms from a man's kerosene-filled mouth. Devotees of Sikhism, the world's fifth largest organized religion, were marking the 342nd birthday of Guru Gobind Singh, a founder of the faith. Photograph by Jaipal Singh
national geographic9 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Xinjiang—A column of dunes could provide geologic data for sand-sampling scientists, whose trucks scratch tracks across the wind-scoured Kumtag Desert. Photograph by George Steinmetz
national geographic10 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
United States—A brown tornado towers perhaps 4,000 feet above the parched plains of Kansas. In 2007 the state set a U.S. record, tallying 141 twisters. The mark was short-lived, though: 187 tore through in 2008. Photograph by Jim Reed
national geographic11 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
South Africa—Green tree pythons coil when comfortable. Though this snake is a pet in Pretoria, the species is native to northern Australia and New Guinea. In the wild its coloration lends cover for a life spent mostly in trees. Photograph by Martin Harvey
national geographic12 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Antarctica—Not far from its Franklin Island colony, a lone Adélie punctuates the looping scrawl of penguin tracks across plates of Ross Sea pack ice. Some 2.7 million of the birds populate the Ross Sea region. Photograph by John B. Weller
national geographic13 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
United States—The shuttle Endeavour—deft in orbit but incapable of terrestrial flight—catches a post-mission piggyback on a 747, soaring over California's Mojave Desert en route to Florida's Kennedy Space Center. Photograph by Carla Thomas
national geographic14 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
United States—A red-clay spray showers spectators at the mud-pit belly flop, highlight of the annual Summer Redneck Games in East Dublin, Georgia. Other events include a hubcap-discus throw and bobbing for pigs' feet. Photograph by Sol Neelman
national geographic15 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Belarus—Naked on an 18°F day, Valentsin Tolkachev clears an icy canal for swimming. The 69-year-old started the Optimalists—a Minsk-based club with 200-some members—in 1989 to promote hale activities in rural settings. Photograph by Vasily Fedosenko,Reuters
national geographic16 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Kenya—Hungry lions in a Masai Mara pride leave little of a wildebeest. "The animals were so involved eating that I was able to drive very close and take a picture standing on my car's roof," says photographer Michel Denis-Huot. Photograph by Christine and Michel Denis-Hout
national geographic17 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
South Georgia Island—A snowy morning offers a peaceful study in contrasts as southern elephant seals and king penguins share a rookery. Antarctic spring brings some 400,000 of each species to this remote British territory. Photograph by Yva Momatiuk and John Eastcott
national geographic18 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
California—As his mother scatters his ashes from a lifeguard boat, friends of Emery Kauanui, Jr., gather in a memorial paddle-out off La Jolla's Windansea Beach on June 9, 2007. The pro surfer, 24, died the previous month. Photograph by K.C. Alfred
national geographic19 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
England—Lost in a wending laurel maze at Cornwall's Glendurgan—a series of verdant subtropical gardens planted privately in the 1820s and bequeathed to the National Trust in 1962—two visitors huddle in a hut. Photograph by Bob Krist
national geographic20 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Sweden—The facial disk of feathers circling this great gray owl's eyes channel forest-floor sounds back to its ears, helping the bird pounce on a vole and carry it away. Photograph by Magnus Elander
national geographic21 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Indonesia—See dusk in the Dampier Strait through a half-submerged lens and glimpse two distinct worlds. Under a cloud-slung sky, fishermen work on wooden boats. Beneath a mirror-calm surface, waters flash with baitfish. Photograph by David Doubilet
national geographic22 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
United States—Like brushes saturated with paint, the wing scales of a sunset moth drip with color. Shot in a Washington State photo studio using a microscope, their iridescence is revealed only in this close-up view. Photograph by Charles Krebs
national geographic23 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Zambia—The 355-foot (108 meter) drop of Victoria Falls just inches away, a swimmer stands at the lip of a hidden pool—an eight-foot-deep (2 meter) divot in the riverbed rock—accessible only when the Zambezi River runs low. Photograph by Annie Griffiths Belt
national geographic24 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
China—A member of a ceremonial honor guard inspects his cohort's alignment, making sure it's suitable for the arrival of world leaders at the 2008 Asia-Europe Meeting, held at Beijing's Great Hall of the People. Photograph by Ng Han Guan
national geographic25 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Azerbaijan—The carcass of an abandoned amusement park ride is a diving platform for teens on a Caspian Sea beach near Baku. Despite the nation's oil and gas boom, almost half of Azerbaijanis live in poverty. Photograph by Remi Benali
national geographic26 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
United Arab Emirates—Peninsulas of prosperity, the "fronds" of the $14-billion Palm Jumeirah—the first of three planned resort islands in Dubai—jut into the Persian Gulf. Building began in 2001; it may end in 2013. Photograph by Alexander Heilner
national geographic27 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Thailand—In a race to emerge at the Sriracha Tiger Zoo, one eight-inch Siamese crocodile wins by a head. Few such crocs exist in the wild, yet 20,000 are born each year during the zoo's May-to-August hatching festival. Photograph by Sukree Sukplang
national geographic28 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Democratic Republic of the Congo—The silverback Senkwekwe, one of six mountain gorillas slain in Virunga National Park last July, is carried from the crime scene. Fewer than 700 remain in the wild. Photograph by Brent Stirton
national geographic29 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Djibouti—A break in training exercises lets Marine Cpl. Brett Herman try out his break-dancing moves during a "freestyle" contest at Camp Lemonier. The former French barracks is the sole U.S. base on the Horn of Africa. Photograph by Jeremy Lock
national geographic30 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Brazil—Butterflies spatter the shoreline of the Juruena River in Brazil’s new 4.7-million-acre (2 million hectares) Juruena National Park. Several different species flock to the riverbanks to sip mineral salts from the sand. Photograph by Zing Koch
national geographic31 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Madagascar—Sunrise reveals light traffic—a lone oxcart—along the Avenue of the Baobabs. The 80-foot-tall "upside-down trees" in the Menabe region could become the island country's first national monument. Photograph by Marsel van Oosten
national geographic32 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Bhutan—Novices at the Dechen Phodrang monastic school in Thimphu hear the dinner bell and come running. More than 400 boys attend the academy, where a typical day of study stretches from 5 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Photograph by Scott A. Woodward
national geographic33 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Iceland—Branches of the Kolgrima River flow across flatlands leading from Vatnajökull—Iceland’s largest glacier—to the sea. Milky tones in the water are from pale silt; the blue is a reflection of the sky. Photograph by Hans Strand
national geographic34 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
England—Like a porcelain figurine carved into repose, the fetus of a foal floats in a jar. The 85-day-old, 5.5-inch-long colt was removed postmortem and preserved in formaldehyde after its mother, a Thoroughbred, died. Photograph by Tim Flach
national geographic35 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Netherlands—To honor 25 years of Terschelling island’s Oerol theater festival, 2,000 people lined up along 25 giant rings of sand sculpted on the beach, in what artist Rob Sweere called “a silent conversation with the sky.” Photograph by Marc Vreuls
national geographic37 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Italy—11,000 feet (3,400 meters) into the Sicilian sky, Mount Etna ranks among the planet’s most active volcanoes. This eruption photographed last December was part of a cycle of activity that began in July 2006. Photograph by Olivier Grunewald
national geographic38 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Indonesia—On the first day of Ramadan, in a mosque filled with white-robed women, one child stands up and stands out. During the month-long holiday, Muslims seeking spiritual purification fast from dawn till dusk. Photograph by Sigit Pamungkas
national geographic39 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Ethiopia—The infernal glow of a lava lake in the Ertale volcano rivals moonrise over the Danakil Desert. Molten surface temperatures range from 550°F (260° Celsius) near the 262-foot-high (80 meters) walls to nearly 1000°F (538° Celsius) at the center of the pit. Photograph by Olivier Grunewald
national geographic40 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Bulgaria—Epiphany Day at an icy Sofia lake finds young men in hot pursuit. Belief holds that the first to reach the wooden cross, thrown by an Eastern Orthodox priest, will enjoy a year of good health. Photograph by Dimitar Dilkoff
national geographic41 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
China—A few dynamite seconds reduced Shenyang’s 60,000-seat Wulihe Stadium to rubble and dust. Chinese soccer fans mourned: Their men’s team qualified for a World Cup final for the first time here in 2001. Photograph by Xie Huanchi
national geographic42 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Philippines—Children gaze at the storybook sight of a partial solar eclipse over Manila Bay. The result of a syzygy—an instance when the Earth, moon, and sun are aligned—it was visible on parts of four continents. Photograph by Gil Nartea
national geographic43 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
China—Workers apply a rust-resistant primer to a coal-fired power plant in Huaibei, a major industrial center. Soon they'll paint it black, adding a second, waterproof coat to this 470-foot-tall cooling tower. Photograph by Reuters/China Daily
national geographic44 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Queensland, Australia—Massive clouds called morning glories roil over the Gulf of Carpentaria. Most common in September and October—and in morning—the clouds can travel across the skies at nearly 20 miles (32 kilometers) an hour. Photograph by Barry Slade
national geographic45 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Zambia—A lone bull elephant breakfasts at first light near the precipice of Victoria Falls. With the Zambezi River near its seasonal ebb, once submerged walkways—and fresh foraging possibilities—present themselves. Photograph by Marsel van Oosten
national geographic46 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Pike National Forest, Colorado—A constellation of blazes dots Grouse Mountain. The fire, which scorched more than 2,300 acres (931 hectares) in a week in April, was the first major fire of Colorado's 2002 season, the state's worst on record. Photograph by Thomas Cooper
national geographic47 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Kasanka National Park, Zambia—Dawn lights the wings of straw-colored fruit bats heading home from a night's foraging. Each November, some eight million of the animals return to the same square mile of swampy forest to roost. Photograph by Kieran Dodds
national geographic48 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Namib Desert, Namibia—Camouflaged by sand and scales, a Péringuey’s adder hunts in almost total stillness, twitching only its black tail to attract prey. When it does move, this viper slips sideways across the dunes. Photograph by Thomas Dressler
national geographic49 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Rift Valley, Tanzania—A camera’s long nighttime exposure reveals the red glow of lava spilling from Mount Ol Doinyo Lengai. The volcano’s lava, which appears brown to the naked eye, has the consistency of olive oil. Photograph by Olivier Grunewald
national geographic50 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Greenland—An iceberg reveals a glimpse of the southern Greenland town of Narsaq. A nearby glacier births a steady supply of bergs that jostle off the settlement's shores year-round. Photograph by NIck Cobbing
national geographic51 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Pakistan—Women and children await registration and relief at the Jalozai refugee camp. Since last summer, some one million Pakistanis have fled the fighting between the military and militants near the Afghan border. Photograph by Emilio Morenatti
national geographic52 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Chile—The fury of Chaitén volcano seems to set the sky on fire. Highly charged particles of pumice roar upward in spreading clouds of gas and smoke, generating crackling tangles of lightning. Photograph by Carlos Gutierrez
national geographic53 Visions of Earth by National Geographic
Greenland—Eight hundred miles south of the North Pole, a cavern of stalactite-like stratus clouds—churned by 90-mile-an-hour winds—and the light of a bruised dawn paint an apocalyptic portrait over Inglefield Bay. Photograph by Bryan and Cherry Alexander
Photos via National Geographic

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